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On a very windy Saturday in early March I went along to the Chosen Wedding Fair at Islington Assembly Hall in London. I was welcomed by a fleet of white taxis with beautiful pink ribbons tied to them. Two friendly guys welcomed me to the event and provided me with a lovely goody bag with a bride to be sticker!

The venue was full of a range of exhibitors for all aspects of creating the perfect wedding. There were a variety of wedding photographers, decorations, hair accessories, photobooths, entertainment and floral arrangements, each hosted beautiful displays promoting their products and services.

Beautiful chocolates by Cocoa to Thrill

One of the first exhibitors I spoke to was The Handmade Favour who produce beautiful dried flowers in rose gold frames that can be provided as wedding favours for guests. Every frame is unique with a different flower and available in a range of colours. When I arrived home I took a look through their website and saw that they provide a range of options for wedding favours and also home décor. They also produce beautiful envelopes with gorgeous floral patterns.

I love a photobooth so when I spotted a beautiful green backdrop with neon pink sign I had to pop by and say hello to the exhibitors! Prop Ltd provide ideal photobooths for events, enabling guests to have printouts or produce boomerang GIFs to share with friends and family. It seems like such a fun addition to any wedding or party and I loved the modern neon light look against the lush green backdrop.

Parrot & Pineapple are wedding photographers. I met with Rowan, of Parrot & Pineapple, on the day who was incredibly friendly and welcome. I was drawn to their beautiful images that are bold and colourful with a relaxed, documentary feel to them. I looked through a couple of gorgeous photo albums of recent weddings and their website is certainly worth a look if you are looking for your wedding photographer!

I have been on the lookout for a beautiful hairband or tiara as I would like to have my hair down on our wedding day which is my usual look. I spotted a few exhibitors at this particular wedding fair which included beautiful pearls that I would love to incorporate into my outfit. I find pearls so soothing as I always think of the sea when I look at them or wear them. I found a couple of wedding accessory suppliers at the Chosen Wedding Fair including Clare Lloyd Couture Bridal Accessories and Debbie Carlisle.

Loops and Letters provide a wonderful calligraphy service including envelope addressing, place cards and signage as well as custom orders such as wedding vows and menus. I absolutely love their place names written on pieces of driftwood and on gorgeous coloured stones. Definitely a unique idea which can be adapted to any wedding colours or themes.

I really enjoyed attending the Chosen Wedding Fair. There were such a great range of exhibitors to speak to and so many products available to get some great ideas and inspiration from. Chosen Wedding Fairs take place all over the UK. For more information on upcoming Chosen Wedding Fair events visit: https://www.chosenwedding.com/

An annual, prestigious event – The Met Gala – also known as the Met Ball, took place in New York last night, Monday 1st May 2017, to celebrate the grand opening to the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit. There have been some fabulous themes every year and this year was no exception, celebrating the exhibition by Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between.

It is known as one of the biggest fundraising events in the city and celebrities from all walks of life fly in to attend the event. Today I’m taking a look at those outfits which were a definite hit with some that were perhaps a little bit too intense.

My ultimate fave looks of the evening

Blake Lively – I literally cannot get enough of this stunning dress. Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know this was on my feed first thing this morning. A gold elegant dress, complete with bright blue feathers.

Kim Kardashian West – Pulling off simplicity in the most elegant form. She looks stunning.

Nicki Minaj – Always one to attend in a statement dress but this one was stunning.

Those standout looks

Rihanna – Yet again, she conquered the most talked about outfit of the night, but was she right to come walking in as a walking piece of art herself? I feel on this occasion she maybe took the theme a little too literally but everyone seemed to love it! I don’t dislike it but maybe I would have preferred the art to be inside the building rather than walking in.

Kendall Jenner – I have such a love/hate relationship with her dress which was apparently made using just one string. The front was gorgeous however when she turned around she left little to the imagination which I felt was a bit disappointing. She usually looks stunning in her outfit choices so I was a bit disappointed on this occasion.

A bit of a belated post but I wanted to share the fantastic evening I had at The Polish Bakery Christmas Party!

In early December on a chilly Tuesday evening I was invited to an evening filled with Christmas festivities as I attended The Polish Bakery Christmas Party at 55 Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. The venue was stunning, with renowned Polish restaurant, Ognisko Polskie located on the ground floor. A sweeping staircase took us up to the first floor where the event was being held.

On entering the room (with prosecco in hand!) there was a beautiful grand piano and we were welcomed by a MD of The Polish Bakery. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly – the room was filled with happy faces! This was, in part, to do with the amounts of gorgeous, delicious food laid out for us to indulge. As soon as one plate was emptied it was refilled with different meats, cheeses, salads and of course, the main attraction of The Polish Bakery bread.

There were so many breads to try from The Polish Bakery and it is the oldest Polish Bakery in the UK. They are truly traditional company using only natural ingrediants imported from Poland to create the authentic Polish flavours. Breads are hand-finished and are a sourdough which tastes absolutely delicious! They have a full range of breads available including poppy seed, rye, half-wheat, sesame seed and sunflower seed. There are also gluten-free breads available which were wonderful to try!

Dessert was an array of beautiful looking slices of cakes alongside sumptuous doughnuts (if unlike me you weren’t already full from all of the delicious bread!) The cakes had lots of gorgeous layers filled with delicious, mouthwatering flavours. There were so many to taste!

We ended the evening with some lovely speeches and cutting of the cake before being handed fabulous goody bags filled with breads and delicious Vienna Cheesecake that was shared amongst my colleagues the following day. A truly magical evening and a perfect way to kick off the festive season!

I’ve entered into the UK Blog Awards under the Lifestyle and Events categories, so if you enjoy reading my little blog please take a second to vote for me! Whilst you’re on there make sure you take a look at all the other fabulous bloggers that have entered – there’s some truly wonderfully written blogs out there.

MADE LONDON, the Design and Craft fair is returning to London this October, showcasing the very best original designers and craft makers from the UK and beyond. The fair will be taking place at One Marylebone, a beautiful and atmospheric venue located in close proximity to Regents Park.

Over four levels a huge variety of designs will be showcased, perfect for a relaxed afternoon of browsing and perhaps you might even spot a Christmas gift or two!

The event opens on Thursday 22nd October and is open until Sunday 25th October 2015. Tickets are available online or will be available on the door and cost £10. Children under 14 go free!

Click here to visit the website to find out more about the event, including who will be exhibiting this year. Let me know if you attend and I would love to hear what you think of the event!

My first time at the Ideal Home Show was last year (2014) on its last occasion in Earls Court. 2015 brings a new era to the show as it makes the move to Kensington Olympia. The event fitted the venue perfectly with each zone in its own separate spacious hall, making the show easy to navigate from any entrance.

I usually visit the event on a Thursday evening, which is a bit like late night shopping when the show stays open until 9pm. It’s a nice time to visit as it’s slightly quieter from the day trippers and doesn’t have the weekend rush which means it is far easier to navigate around the event. Make sure you leave plenty of time for your visit though – there is so much to see (and purchase!) and you won’t want to be rushing round at the end!

We entered through the garden section, full of beautiful gardens, inspirational garden houses and beautiful water features. Living in central London currently means we have a bit of a distinct lack of garden but I now feel inspired to fill our balcony with water features, a pergola and a green house along with a hot tub! Maybe I should wait until I have a large enough garden to do that though?!

The food section was our absolute favourite part of the show! There was so much to choose from, everything from Chinese, Indian, Caribbean, Hog Roast, through to Ice Cream and Confectionary! We had delicious chilli and bratwurst German sausages which certainly filled us up! We also had a look around the Willy Wonka chocolate competition – Ideal Cake Decorator of the Year, which had some beautiful cakes!

British Gas, as one of the main sponsors of the show, provided a number of stands exploring sustainable solutions for the home. There was information provided about loft and cavity wall insulation which will be provided free with support from the Government to the 90% of homes that need it depending on eligibility. You could be saving as much as £145 on your heating bill in a single year by having cavity wall insulation. By having loft insulation you could be saving as much as £150. Click here to find out more!

Smart Meters are the new upgrade to how your energy usage is measured. British Gas is currently upgrading properties with this new technology across the country for their customers. If you are a British Gas customer this will mean you will no longer receive estimated bills, as readings will be automatically taken and sent directly meaning you will have a lot more control enabling you to see just how much energy you are using before your monthly or quarterly bill arrives. Click here to find out more!

Hive is ‘the clever way to control your heating and hot water.’ Using an app from your mobile, computer or tablet, you can control your heating remotely so there is no need to waste money heating an empty home again! It also has an optional feature alerting you if you have left your property with the heating on, again saving you money. Click here to find out more!

You can get a full range of Home Inspiration tips and advice from British Gas by clicking here to visit The Source. Helping you to get the best out of your home.

The Ideal Home Show has a number of show houses on display and this year, in true election spirit they had Number 10 Downing Street as one of the houses! It’s amazing to see how they literally flat pack and build these houses into the event. It’s definitely a key feature of the event.

I attend a lot of exhibitions and events and what I found especially good about this show was the amount of stalls and businesses exhibiting. It was though every space had been used productively, partly down to the fantastic displays by the stall holders but also by the company that set up the event layout. It was very impressive!

To find out more information about the Ideal Home Show please click here.

On February 28th 2015, I paid my first ever visit to London Fashion Weekend! I’ve always wanted to attend the event to see what it was like and I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to this time round.

I met my friend at the entrance to Somerset House, home of the British Fashion Council, on the Strand and we ventured over the cobbles to the large marquee in the centre of the courtyard. This is one of the fabulous venues used over the course of London Fashion Week and is kept in place for London Fashion Weekend which is held for the general public to get a taster.

First off we collected our limited edition tote bags with a beautiful print from Pringle of Scotland who are celebrating 200 years this year. The bags were filled with products such as Maybelline mascara, a sample of Lavazza coffee, some Garnier facial wipes, Hello Fashion Monthly magazine and much more!

There seemed to be a lot going on around the event including talks from industry professionals, the opportunity to shop designer labels and emerging talent and various catwalks to attend. There was also a fabulous prosecco bar and a Lavazza coffee shop to relax sore feet from too much retail therapy too!

We attended the Trend catwalk show which comprised of several collections focusing on key trends from The Outnet.com. The trends included Make it Monochrome, Shimmer & Shine, Hyper Florals and That Seventies Show.

I must admit, I haven’t been truly overwhelmed by any of these trends this season. I’m particularly not sure about the 70s trend – for me I just can’t deal with the suede aspect but I absolutely love the flares and I would wear these with a chunky heel. I’ve felt a bit as though retailers are trying to force us into embracing the trend this season and whilst I have seen a few flares and fringing around – no one has taken the plunge and full on embraced it just yet – perhaps everyone is waiting for the Summer? I’m not sure – either way, I’m not quite there yet! As for the other trends I’m a fan of anything floral so this is absolutely perfect. I’m looking forward to getting the florals out in pretty dresses and skirts once Spring has finally sprung! I love the idea of grown up metallics in the Shimmer & Shine collection and have already fallen in love with some chunky heeled sandals in metallic silver from Primark which I will be featuring on my blog very soon! Overall, it was a great insight into the trends of SS15 and it was great to see a spotlight on an online retailer sponsoring the show.

After the show we took a look round the “Shop the catwalk” section of the event which included a range of pieces taken from the catwalk. Some of my absolute favourite pieces are below, all are very unique and particularly stood out to me as one’s to watch!

Did you attend London Fashion Weekend? I’d love to hear what you thought – would you attend next year?

Last weekend I paid a visit to the city of Bristol for the first time! My family is from Wales so it is somewhere that I have frequently passed the junction of on the M4 although had never visited before. The reason for our visit was a hen party for one of my close friends who is getting married in a few weeks which we had managed to keep a surprise until we reached Victoria coach station. Taking only 2hours 30min from London on the MegaBus the journey was quick and comfortable and we soon arrived at our fantastic accommodation in the city centre, a modern apartment overlooking the rooftops of the city.

I wore this outfit for the Friday evening negotiating comfort with my new fabulous pink wedges from Primark that I had picked up earlier on in the day – how cute are they!

On a completely unrelated side note, I absolutely loved this canvas – a banana in an executive chair! I have to get this for my house! Please let me know if you know where to get these from!!!After a relaxing Saturday morning we spent the afternoon at an amazing vintage tea rooms – Cox and Baloney. It was beautifully decorated in vintage decor and had the largest selection of teas I have ever seen! I’m not one for a cup of tea usually and as it was a special occasion I opted for something a bit stronger, a teapot cocktail known as Lady Amy of Braganza which was made up of Vodka, peach and white apricot tea with lemon juice topped up with ginger beer. Our teapot’s accompanied the most delicious stand of finger sandwiches, cakes and scones all beautifully presented on vintage china.

We saw a couple of hen parties head down to a “party room” where they had opted to get their hair and make up done in a vintage theme which looked like a fun optional extra! After enjoying our delicious afternoon tea and glasses of prosecco we ventured into the boutique next door which sold loose tea and a range of fabulous vintage dresses and accessories.

Saturday evening was spent in Slug and Lettuce in the city centre. We had arranged a cocktail making lesson followed by a wonderful buffet. We learned how to make mojitos and cosmopolitans and were able to consume anything that we created!! The staff and our host were absolutely fantastic and we couldn’t fault them at all! Highly recommended for a fun, girls night out!

One thing I never realised about Bristol is the amazing street art which seems to be EVERYWHERE! So if you ever get the opportunity, make sure you have a walk around and see what you can spot! It is the home to Banksy, a now world famous artist who started on the streets of Bristol as just another kid with a spray can. If you’re interested in learning more why not take a look at a Banksy tour whilst you’re there? Click here to read more!

So if you’re looking for somewhere a little bit different for a hen party why not think about Bristol? It has lots of cultural activities as well as some great venues for evenings out! I would highly recommend it!

On Saturday 14th February with love in the air (a belated Happy Valentine’s Day to all!) we travelled to ExCeL in London to visit the annual London Bike Show!

This show, perfect for cycling enthusiasts, also including entrance into other shows including the Outdoor and Adventure Show, Triathlon Show and the Dive Show which meant there was something for all fitness fanatics!

We started off the day trialling a few different bikes. The Boxer bikes were fab and great for parents with children.

We then took a walk round the exhibition which was huge and including so many different bike brands. We even spotted Chris Hoy and the Pinarello that Bradley Wiggins rode to victory!

I am currently researching Dutch bikes as it will be my major Summer 2015 purchase and was so pleased to see a Bobbins stand at the event. I absolutely love all the different pastel colours available and they are so affordable.

Over the day I was also converted into wanting a road bike, especially when I found the Cannondale Synapse bikes (one of which had pink stripes and the other silver glitter!) Despite the colour, the technical aspects of Cannondales are fantastic and definitely something I’m looking to get once my confidence in cycling improves! We also spent a lot of time at the Canyon and Pinarello stands – both amazing bike brands!

Of course, if you are thinking of buying a new bike, like me, you will need the accessories to go with it! For the girls I found two amazing stands – Velo Vixen, which I have come across before at previous events and Bike Belle, Boutique Cycling Accessories – both of which I am planning to feature soon so keep an eye out for more information about these cute brands.

Overall, The London Bike Show was a fab day out and something that the whole family can enjoy. From trialling new bikes, to watching thrilling BMX demonstrations to visiting the many different stands available – a great day out!

On Sunday 8th February 2015 I travelled the (short!) distance down to Kensington Olympia in West London to visit one of the most renowned trade shows on the fashion calendar. Pure London, made up of just over 800 exhibitors – 300 of which are new to the event this February, is a 3 day event which invites buyers and other fashion professionals to see next A/W 2015 trends from brands based all over the world.

I started off the afternoon watching the womenswear catwalk show which had six different scenes. Encrypted, My Street My Way, New Heritage, Streamline, Curated Eccentric and Folk Tales. Each of these demonstrated key trends for Autumn/Winter 2015.

My absolute favourite collection was the My Street My Way collection which incorporated brights and bold accessories into street style. Here are some clips!

Next, I moved on to listen to the presentation “Utilising the power of the blog” hosted by Steve Spear, Pure Talk Editor joined by Jo Stefanicki from The Fashion Parade and Francis Bacon from School Run Style who were both discussing their blogs. Some interesting questions were asked and their stories were truly inspiring!

I then continued the afternoon by heading upstairs to the Accessories and Shoes. I found lots of fabulous brands including some of my all time favourites including Vendula London, Estella Bartlett and Tatty Devine, and some new favourites Little Moose, Talented and My Flash Trash.

Next it was back to the Spirit catwalk show which included brands such as Goddiva and Neon Rose plus my one of my personal favourites Glamorous. I thoroughly enjoyed The Pretty Dress collection too!

I finished off my day by strolling through the Spirit zone. Originally, the priority of my visit had been the accessories and footwear collections but I had felt so inspired by the catwalk show that I wanted to spend some time looking through the Spirit collections. I did not feel let down and found lots of fabulous brands which I cannot wait to share with you all!